Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-06-17

telligent Why has society not allowed
these to vote if suffrage is an Unborn, in.
alienable right: If it is an Unborn, in.
alienable right, why has society not al
lowed il to be exercised by every person
wEo can prove himself to have the neces-
sarv qualifications OF "A voter?
But We even go further than this, be-
cause unless suffrage Is an Unborn and
natural right, then the argument of those
who claim that women should per Sc be
allowed TO vote falls to the ground. The
supreme court of the United States has
declared that it is not a right. That the
right of "a citizen to vote is neither legal
nor constitutional right-that it is a
privilege conferred by the state, for rea
sons that seems best known to the state.
The supreme court Of the state Of Massa-
chusetts has also held the same way upon
similar question involving this whole
controversy. Therefore, say we may re-
gard it as finally and definitely establish
ed that the clam that suffrage is a natur-
al and inalienable right of a citizen has
union called upon TO decide for ourselves
upon the question whether or not there
should be an indefinite extension of the
right of suffrage to classes that are not
now included, [ wish to invite your atten.
ton to a few considerations that appear
to me to justify the action of those who
found themselves unable to give their
support to the 10Th amendment proposed
to the constitution of the United States
And first | am inclined TO believe that
the suffrage in this country has been ex-
tended to the extreme limit of safety al
the present time For more than 80 years
as nation we have been standing on the
sea-shore and on the mountain top sing
ing Hail Columbia, Happy Land. Every
band playing yankee doodle and declar-
ing that this was the asylum for the op.
pressed and the homeless of all nations
inviting immigration from every corner
of the earth, and as soon as an immigrant
arrives giving him quarter section of
land, and the right to vote, until at this
time there are not less than one million
unskilled labOrers in this country more
than we have any capacity to employ and
we have so far exhausted the public do
naln in our injudicIcius distribution
thereof, that in the years from this time
there will not be an acre of land on which
wheat or corn can be raised without irri-
CATION, subject to distribution under tie
homestead Or prc-emp,ion law.
immigration at the rate of from 100000
TO million per annum is pouring in up
on our shores, embracing nihilsts and an
archistS and socialists and communists,
congregating in our great cities and even
now rallying under the red flag and
threatening perpetuity and safety OF con-
stitutional liberty. And yet if this pro-
posed 18th amendment to the constitution
should be adopted as proposed by the ad-
vocates of this theory. We are not only to
enfranchise all the males of this vast ag-
gregation that have throngcd upon our
shores, but we are to give every woman
that comes from every quarter of the
earth the same privilege we give to the
men, unlettered, illiterate, ignorant, with
out information enough to understand our
institutions or with no capacity to read
our language. My impression is that this
is not wise or prudent. think it would
be injudicious in the extreme, and rather
than invite as we are doing, immigration
to this country-withOut compelling any
one here to depart-I am confident it
would be wise measure to prevent, by
proper legislation, all immigration from
any ether country on this earth for the
next twenty years, and allow the great
mass Of people now here to aSsimilatc and
become blended and welded together, to
become schooled and educated in the Do.
political platform and our jury systems
and our national institutions. and until
we should have great mass of homogen-
eous American citizens that would say to
all nations OF the earth, this continent has
been reserved for Americans, from the
north pole down to the tropics.
One common argument that is insisted
upon with great force by the advocates of
equal suffrage is based upon the fifteenth
amendment to the constitution of the Uni
ted States which enfranchised the slaves,
or rather the freedmen who had been
slaves. 1t was logical to allow the freed
men to vote, if there is any logic in poll
tics. but the logic of votes. 1t seemed in
disputably right that if the rebels were to
be restored to citizenship, there was only
one way to enable the freedmen to defend
themselves, and to enable them to defend
themselves they also should be armed
with the ballot. The fifteenth amend.
ment was war measure, not a peace
measure, and those who appeal to that for
the purpose Of establishing the right of
women to vote are in my judgment ex-
ceedingly unfortunate, for in the light of
events for the last twenty years, have no
hesitancy whatever, in declaring that ne.
gro suffrage in this country has been an
absolute and unqualified failure.
That is a statement OF considerable
breadth. 1t is statement that may per-
haps be regarded as having some political
aspect, but repeat it, and | want my
statements considered in the light of the
argument have made as to the condi-
tiOns and requirements of suffrage. l re-
peat that negro suffrage in this country
has been an absolute, unqualified failure.
IT has been a failure in the country at
large. 1t has been failure in the south
ern states. 1t has been failure in its ef-
fects upon the whites 1t has been fail.
ure in its effects upon the blacks, and it
has been failure so far as the prospects
Of that party are concerned who it was
hoped would be benefited by it The
condition of the blacks in the south l was
about to say, was worse than when they
were in slavery. The ballot instead of be.
ing an instrument to enable them to de-
fend and protect themselves has been
turned against them by their enemies,
and they have been slain in the house OF
their friends. The south by reason of the
fifteenth amendment, secured thirty adj
ditional representatives in congress. 1t
secured thirty additional representatives
in the electoral college, and then, speak
without any prejudice toward the south
but as citizen Of the northern states, hav.
ing secured that representative they turn
around and repress its impression. At
ter having secured the additional vote
they viii. not permit and have not permit
ted single negro to hold position in
the house or on the electoral college, bu,
having counted his vote in the great sys
tenn of our political equalization, he is en-
tirely suppressed, and yet the advocates
of equal or impartial suffrage knowing
what the result of the fifteenth has been
knowing that it has been an absolute and
unqualified failure, and has disappointed
the expectation of all its advocates, delib-
erately propose to precipitate into the pol
ities of this country some millions more O
illiterate, ignorant and uncultivatcd vo
ters Of the female sex
AT the last session of the senate, a bill
was passed appropriating $7O,0OO,OOO, fol
the purpose Of educating the illiterate ant
ignorant voters OF the south. on the grounC
that they were a menace and a standing
| threat to the safety Of our republican In
stitutiOns. $7O,OOO,O 600 is q great deal O.
money; it is more than my entire estate
| and presume more than the entire DOS
session of most of those who now hea
me; and yet SO great was the danger, tina